Outside Lands: Big rock shows big trend for 2008

What’s in a name? Well, in the case of next week’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, quite a lot, actually.

Back in the 1800s, Outside Lands was the name used for what’s now San Francisco’s Sunset District. At that time, the area was covered in sand dunes and was considered uninhabitable. Development changed all that, and the former Outside Lands area is now home to Golden Gate Park.

The name conjures up an image of stark isolation â€” a place Mel Gibson’s “Road Warrior” might visit â€” but the Outside Lands festival is not alone. This year has seen the birth of many new, non-touring multi-day music events, to the point where 2008 will be likely be remembered in the industry as the year of the festival.

“I can’t remember a year when there were as many large festivals as we have this year,” remarks Rob Evans, editor of the Ticketmaster-owned concert news Web site LiveDaily.com. “I think it’s a direct response to the success of Bonnaroo and Coachella â€” now other promoters are jumping on the bandwagon.”

Already this year, fans have seen the debuts of the four-day Rothbury music festival in Michigan (featuring the Dave Matthews Band, Trey Anastasio and others) and the three-day Pemberton Festival in British Columbia (with Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Jay-Z and others). Many others, both new and pre-existing, are set for the months ahead. In all, the scene is becoming more like the one that has long operated in Europe, where major rock festivals happen throughout the summer.

One has to wonder, though: How many festivals can the U.S. market support? It’s long supported the destination events Coachella and Bonnaroo, but can it handle a dozen such festivals? Thus far the feedback has been positive, even though some of the biggest events reported slightly smaller crowds this year.

“All of (these festivals) so far look like they’ve done OK, from at least break even to very successful,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of the concert industry trade publication Pollstar. “That’s a little surprising, given that we’ve seen so many new ones this year. And I expect to see even more next year.”

The increased competition, most agree, shouldn’t have too much of a detrimental effect on the festivals located in major metropolitan areas. Events like Outside Lands and Lollapalooza in Chicago have huge populations to bank on for ticket sales, minimizing the need to draw fans from far-off ZIP Codes at a time of still-high gas prices.

These festivals do, however, create some major problems for established concert venues. “The downside to these large festivals is that they eat up a large amount of talent,” Bongiovanni says.

For example, there are some 70 acts scheduled to play Outside Lands, which means there are some 70 acts that won’t be performing at other spots in the Bay Area. That’s due to so-called “radius clauses” touring acts sign, stipulating that they won’t play again in a certain market for a certain amount of time.

That affects not only the big amphitheaters and arenas, which won’t be able to book Outside heavyweights Jack Johnson, Radiohead and Tom Petty anytime soon, but also theaters and clubs that could’ve otherwise hosted the dozens of support acts on Outside Lands’ bill.

Cost, of course, is an issue here for fans. It takes a healthy chunk of change to attend a major festival â€” in the case of Outside Lands, $225.50 for a three-day pass â€” but that price is hardly exorbitant in today’s marketplace, where it routinely costs a couple of bills for a good seat to see a major entertainer. “From an economic factor, (festivals) are really great values for people,” says Rick Farman, a co-founder of the concert firm Superfly, one of the organizers of Outside Lands.

Also, a full festival, with its bands, food and amusement booths, offers a better experience than a typical amphitheater show, Farman believes: “Most of those concerts tend to be just another stop on a tour,” he says. “(With a festival), you are creating a coming together of a lot of different elements. All of that, I think, tends to breed creativity and inspiration for both the artists and fans.” Those factors, Farman hopes, will make those who attend Outside Lands want to come back in 2009.

“We are taking a very long view on this,” he says. “We hope to be producing this festival for many years to come.”